Firm pledges to get unions out

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A MELBOURNE industrial relations consultancy is promoting a plan
to further de-unionise companies by changing employees into
independent contractors.

Industrial Labour Solutions has told businesses its strategy
would take companies "outside of the industrial regime" to enable
employees to be worked "without your current restraints".

Responding yesterday, the ACTU said the move reinforced a
growing sense that Australian business was becoming more militant
and arrogant in dealing with employees because of the prospect of a
more deregulated workplace system.

ILS director Martin Griffin confirmed that his company was
seeking to exploit the flexibilities in proposed workplace changes
that will go before Federal Parliament this month.

The changes would make it easier for companies to put employees
on individual contracts, would clarify arrangements under which
people can be deemed contractors, would remove protections from
unfair dismissal in companies that employ 100 or fewer staff and
would shift the setting of minimum wages from the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission to a new government-appointed
panel.

Mr Griffin said yesterday that his company was actively seeking
new work and had "quite a few" businesses listed in its client
base, but he did not have time to discuss his labour
strategies.

"I can't talk to you at the moment. I'm just about to go into
church," he said.

A letter from Mr Griffin to a Melbourne business, seen by The
Age, outlines the ILS objectives. He told a company it no
longer had to agree to enterprise agreements proposed by unions
that could disrupt business during negotiations.

"In conjunction with the new IR (industrial relations) rules we
are able to fix the situation permanently and move your company
outside the legislative jurisdiction of unions. No more EBAs. No
unfair dismissals. No casuals forced into full-time. No
redundancies. No unions. No problems. Decreased costs," the letter
said.

ACTU president Sharan Burrow yesterday said ILS was one of
several industrial relations consultancies and legal firms advising
clients of "divisive" options.

There was a strong sense from unions that the Government was
"sending business a message that under its new system anything
goes".

"This is what the changes are encouraging, these sorts of
tactics  a cowboy-like approach to industrial relations where
workers' basic rights can be ignored or trampled on," she said.

The ILS strategy follows action by Express Data, which ordered
its warehouse supervisors to sign Australian Workplace Agreements
 individual contracts  or lose their positions.
National Union Of Workers members at the warehouse who objected to
the ultimatum and took industrial action have been issued with
dismissal notices.